Negotiations
by cataloo456
Summary: In the wake of the Dominion War, the Federation seeks to strengthen its ties to the Romulan and Klingon empires. Senator Vreenak of Romulus and Ensign Reina Hence of Earth are grudgingly dragged into working together in a cultural exchange program and establish ties of their own. Some chapters may eventually be M, Vreenak/OC.
1. Chapter 1

As Julian Bashir pressed the hypospray to the Klingon's neck he could only reflect that this certainly was not what he thought he would be doing today. A barfight between Romulans and Klingons, though not unexpected in hindsight, ruined his plans for a nice outing with Garak on the holodeck. The Cardassian had expressed disappointment at his cancellation, though he smiled when Bashir recounted the details of Senator Vreenak being launched over the bar at Quark's.

Resisting the urge to laugh at the memory, Bashir hurried to treat the next Klingon waiting. This particular group hadn't taken much of a beating, and only by the insistence of Sisko did they agree to be examined. Idle Klingons did not do well for a sick bay.

The Dominion War had ended only a few months past, and politically and logistically there was still a good deal to sort out. The powers that be, in this case the Federation, decided that it was a perfect time to reorganize and renegotiate peace accords and agreements with the Romulan and Klingon Empires. A conference was currently being held at Deep Space Nine with several retinues from each government. The general idea was that if the three powers could unite and shed blood together against the Dominion, they could certainly further strengthen the bonds between their peoples. Unfortunately, the end goals and objectives of the negotiations were vague at best. And the chaos of war still bled over into peace time, making bureaucratic dealings and directives all the more unclear and frustrating, and the negotiators were beginning to feel it. The tension led to the dredging up of old grudges and bloodfueds, particularly between the Romulans and Klingons who had spent more time at war than practically any other species in the galaxy.

This latest bout of fighting was brought on by thinly veiled insults that a Romulan centurion directed at a particularly testy Klingon warrior, an aide of General Martok. One thing led to another, and well, here they all were, crowding up sickbay.

Bashir glanced over his shoulder at his newest assistant, Reina, who was currently examining a bruised Romulan, strategically placed away from the Klingons.

"Well, it looks like you'll be fine." Reina said with a smile as she moved the dermal regenerator over a nasty gash the Romulan had sustained.

The Romulan only scowled at her in reply.

Bashir smirked. As his newest assistant, Reina was a vivacious young woman, who could easily charm nearly any male off his feet. In fact, Bashir had always imagined her as someday becoming the wife of an ambassador or Starfleet admiral, wining and dining political adversaries and opponents alike. With a few flashes of her brilliant smile, they were sure to fall at her feet and acquiesce to anything she wanted.

The Romulans were proving to be quite a challenge to her however.

"I do not need to be here." The Romulan said tightly.

"That gash on your head says otherwise" Reina replied with an even tone.

"If those Klingons had any honor, they would not have started the confrontation."

Unfortunately, this last remark was heard quite clearly by the Klingons.

"What did you say?!" one shouted, crossing the room, "I'll rip you apart Romulan! It is you who has no honor!"

"That's enough!" Bashir said firmly, stepping between the Klingon and his target.

The Klingon sneered "What business do you have interfering in this, human?"

"It is his sickbay." Reina reminded him. "And frankly, that's no way to talk to someone who just spent time and effort focused on your wellbeing. If you have further concerns to address with the Romulans, I suggest you send it up to your superiors."

She wagged one finger at the Romulan in front of her, "And that goes for you too!"

The Klingon hesitated for only a moment, then with a parting insult directed at Reina, exited the room. His colleagues closely followed.

Now, Bashir allowed a smile to grace his face. He had been wrong. Reina wasn't destined to be an ambassador's wife. She was destined to be the ambassador.

A little while later, once the sickbay had been cleared of battered Romulans, and the less battered Klingons, Bashir realized two key Romulan officials involved in the scuffle listed in Odo's report hadn't reported to Sick Bay.

With a sigh, Bashir tapped his comm badge "Bashir to Sisko"

"Sisko here."

"Sir, Senators Letant and Vreenak have not checked in after the incident in Quark's. Would I be committing a diplomatic offense in sending someone to check in on them? Wouldn't want to be the cause of any bruised egos by playing nurse to them."

"Frankly, I don't care about their bruised egos. They acted like damn children."

Bashir grinned, "Even so."

"Even so, yes, check up on them. Sisko out."

Bashir turned to Reina who was scrolling through a PADD, "Reina, could you do me a favor and check up on Senator Vreenak? I'll take Letant. Just ensure he hasn't sustained significant damage."

Reina grinned "Play nurse to a senator? That's what I live for!"

Her sarcasm was not lost on Bashir, "Just be delicate. I'm sure he'd find some way of turning this around on the Federation."

Reina threw her hands up in a gesture of defeat, "Fine. I'm sure he's a giant sweetheart anyway." She muttered.

Bashir smiled, "Testy today are we?"

"That's what happens when Romulans and Klingons both come for a visit."

Bashir laughed, "You're just mad because your smiles weren't enough to win any of them over."

Reina grinned brightly, "Luckily, you're not immune." She pinched his cheek affectionately, then swept past him to gather up some supplies.

Bashir shook his head. Vreenak would have his hands full with that one.

As Reina made her way to the quarters of the esteemed Romulan senator, she couldn't help but feel the urge to laugh at her predicament. In taking a medical assistant position on the far flung Deep Space Nine, she had seen her fair share of assignments that were unusual in nature. This was especially because of the station's proximity to the wormhole. All sorts of new medical phenomena came with the territory of contacting new species in the Gamma quadrant.

This upcoming task was familiar however. She had treated her fair share of grumpy, old men who were all too conscientious of appearing weak. She suspected that this case with an important, dignified Romulan senator would prove to be similar.

This assumption was proven wrong from the moment she spotted the double doors of the senator's quarters. Outside were stationed two Romulan guards with dispositions that did not imply they would allow her to waltz in.

She steeled herself for an argument then stepped forward.

"What are you doing here?" one queried.

Reina offered her brightest smile then said peaceably, "I've been sent by Doctor Bashir, just to check up on the Senator."

"He is in no need of assistance." The other guard said firmly.

"Even so, it would make Commander Sisko that much more relieved if I personally saw to his comfort." Reina said calmly.

The guards looked to each other, then one nodded. He pressed a button on the side panel of the door,

"Senator, Starfleet has sent a girl to see to your comfort."

Before Reina could correct the guard's unfortunate, and she suspected deliberate, phrasing, the doors slid open with a hiss. The guards stepped aside to allow her entrance.

Reina entered cautiously, suddenly very aware that she was uncertain how to act in the presence of an interstellar diplomat.

At first, she couldn't see him. Then spotted the top of a dark head on the sofa.

"Senator?"

He sat up and craned his neck to observe her, "Come." He said. He was seated in a relaxed fashion, a PADD balanced on one knee and a drink in hand. Reina approached, surprised at the senator's even tone.

Reina walked around the sofa, "Hello, I'm Ensign Hence, Doctor Bashir sent me to-"

"See to my comfort?" Vreenak supplied with a wry look. "Yes, I know."

Reina flushed a little at that, "That was poor phrasing sir."

"You think my guard has poor phrasing?"

Reina felt herself blushing even more, "Well that particular remark-"

"Hmm" the Senator cut her off. His eyes swept over her, and she found herself scanning him in return. Vreenak was not nearly as old as she had thought, though it was often difficult to tell where Romulans were concerned. He had neatly cut black hair, with no signs of graying, and sharp facial features that reflected the remarkable intelligence he was rumored to possess. All in all, nothing that Reina had expected. Her medically trained eye also picked up on his posture, which looked as if it was accommodating some internal pain.

Without invitation she took out her tricorder to scan him, seating herself next to him in the process. He raised an eyebrow at her abrupt manners, but allowed the scan to continue.

As she went to work on her examination, she felt his scrutinizing gaze on her face. It was making her vastly uncomfortable, a feeling which reflected itself on her face as a blush crept up from her neck to her cheeks. She didn't dare stare directly into his face, but she got the impression that he was amused by her nervous energy.

"Find anything?" he asked.

"You're a little bruised up, but nothing serious. I'll give you something for the pain."

Vreenak scoffed, "Are all Starfleet medical officers so insightful?"

Reina willed her body not to react to the abrasive comment, but felt the blush on her face intensify anyway.

"Are all Romulan senators so easily drawn into petty disputes at bars?" she replied.

Vreenak's lips tightened in anger at her remark, and Reina silently berated herself for her lack of control. It wasn't like her to be so belligerent. She had dealt with plenty of patients with nastier attitudes than this guy, and yet for some reason he was managing to push her buttons. And she couldn't get this damn blush off of her face.

She reached for her hypospray, noticing a bottle with blue liquid on the table in front of them. The same substance filled Vreenak's glass.

"Kali-fal?" she asked.

"I'm glad you know the Romulan name Ms. Hence."

"Ensign Hence."

He waved a hand, "Yes of course. I'd offer you some but it's an extremely intoxicating beverage for humans, particularly females."

Reina didn't know if it was because of Vreenak's flippant attitude or her own discomfort in the situation, but seemingly of its own accord, her hand reached out and took the glass from the Senator's hand. Meeting his shocked gaze, she calmly gulped down the remaining contents of the glass.

Instantly, her mouth and throat were aflame. She struggled to maintain her composure as she rasped, "I've had worse."

Vreenak grinned, "Oh yes, I'm sure you have."

He plucked the glass from her hand and placed it on the table.

"Don't try and stand for a few minutes." He advised.

Defiantly Reina stated, "Well, unfortunately duty calls. If you need anything else please don't hesitate to call sickbay."

Vreenak watched Reina amusedly, "Ms. Hence, you haven't given me my injection."

"Right, of course. I was just getting to that." Reina cleared her throat and turned back to Vreenak, who propped his arms up on the back of the couch and watched her with the hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth.

Reina adjusted the dosage level on the head of her hypospray, then quickly injected the medicine into Vreenak's neck. She was surprised to feel her fingers brush against pleasantly warm, dry skin.

"There. That should take care of any internal pain." She said, "As I said please contact Sick Bay if any other symptoms arise."

Reina rose from the couch and her vision began spinning.

"Wha-"

She landed back on the couch with a huff.

"Ms. Hence, are you sure you are unaffected by the kali fal?" Vreenak asked amusedly.

"Like I said, I've had worse. I just have terrible balance." She lied.

"Hmm, well in that case don't let me keep you. Please attend to your duties."

Reina held in a growl. Smug bastard. Her ire at the Senator propelled her into standing once again. This time she managed to stay upright, but that was about as much progress as she made. When she leaned forward to gather her supplies, her vision once again began swimming and she came dangerously close to collapsing on the low coffee table.

Surprisingly, she felt warm hands on her hips tugging her backwards. She found her back pressed up against the chest of Vreenak, who was now standing to assist her.

"Ensign." He chuckled.

Reina felt the rumble in his chest vibrate against her back and recognized it as a pleasant sensation.

"Senator." She said thickly, "I do apologize. The drink may have had more of an effect than I realized."

It hurt her pride to admit it, but for the sake of diplomacy with the Romulan Empire she figured it would be best not to further antagonize the high ranking senator who just got his ass beat by a group of Klingons. Best to apologize for the damage she may have already done, then hightail it out of there.

She twisted herself around to face the Romulan, grateful that he gripped her arms to help with her balance.

"Forgive me. I'll see myself out."

"I doubt you will." He remarked dryly, "Unless you plan on crawling on your hands and knees to your quarters."

For some reason this description struck Reina as suggestive and she felt the blush on her face returning. Luckily, Vreenak was occupied with his communication device, contacting his guards.

"Neral, please come and assist Ms. Hence in returning to her quarters."

The door slid open and the guard who initially heckled Reina walked in. Vreenak handed her off to him.

"Goodbye Ms. Hence."

Reina didn't bother replying.

As the guard called Neral escorted her back to her quarters, Reina avoided eye contact with him only muttering when necessary to give directions. However, she did sneak a few peeks at him a couple of times and was surprised at his neutral, almost bored face. Did he often escort inebriated women from the Senator's quarters? He certainly seemed unfazed by this task. Or maybe it had just been an off kilter day for the Romulan guards after the earlier altercation, and everything else just paled in comparison.

They finally stopped at Reina's quarters and Reina thanked the guard for his service before typing her security code into the door's panel and quickly ducking into her room.

Her first priority was to drink some water. She had always been something of a lightweight and the last thing she needed was to end up hungover because of her ill advised consumption of kali fal.

At little while later, once she felt the drunken effects wearing off, she put in a call to Julian to explain why she'd be missing the rest of her shift. She decided to be honest about it. After all, she hadn't had many indiscretions during her career and she trusted Julian to forgive her mistake. Besides, if she did lie about it and Vreenak decided to report the incident to Sisko she'd have more consequences to deal with.

Luckily, Julian laughed it off.

"Romulan ale? Reina, you know the effects it has on the human body! It's highly intoxicating in comparison to human alcoholic beverages and you…"

"I know, I'm a lightweight. I had no business messing with the stuff. I was just…I don't know."

She didn't care to explain that Vreenak had flustered her so badly that she wanted to do something, anything, to push back and regain her confidence in his presence.

After her conversation with Julian, Reina rummaged through her clothing and changed into the most comfortable outfit she had, a ratty t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. Setting an alarm for the next morning, she snuggled into bed and found herself dozing off to thoughts of being caressed by warm, dry hands.

A/N: So, I've had this idea in my head for awhile and the 2ft of snow trapping me in my house has finally given me motivation to work on it! It goes without saying that I've changed Vreenak's fate for the sake of this story. I thought he was just too fun of a character to let go. Also, I wasn't sure whether to place this story under the DS9 category or not given that I'm really only starting the story there, and using a couple of characters from the show. Eh.

Next chapter plays around with Vreenak's point of view. And, of course, reviews are greatly appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Many, many thanks to LornaWinters, WikkityTweak and CeresMaria for your lovely reviews! And LornaWinters, don't worry, I do have plans for Neral ;) Also, thanks to all who began following this story!

Vreenak rubbed his raised temples tiredly as he seated himself in the chair of his desk in his temporary quarters. To say it had been a trying and exhausting day was an understatement. After the disgraceful fight with the Klingons his men had instigated and the strange episode with the Starfleet ensign, Vreenak had had just about enough of socializing for the day. And as the brawl had shown, the ongoing negotiations were proving to be unsuccessful, to the point that Vreenak expected his delegation to be recalled to Romulus any day now.

The beep signaling a subspace communication sparked irrational hope in his chest. Perhaps this was the order to withdraw?

"Computer on screen." He ordered.

To his utter dismay and irritation, Benjamin Sisko's face filled the view screen.

"Captain, how can I help you?" his tone retained its normal relaxed and even tone, but inside he was boiling. The Starfleet captain was proving to be persistent in the peace negotiations, and Vreenak was hating him more and more with each passing day.

"Senator Vreenak. I trust our medical staff saw to your needs satisfactorily?" Sisko asked, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Indeed." As strange as the female Starfleet officer had been, he couldn't deny that she had administered treatment.

"I trust the Ferengi's establishment was not too badly damaged?"

At this Sisko openly smiled, "Oh I'm sure you'll be getting a bill soon."

Vreenak grimaced.

He despised having to dish out apologies. As a matter of fact he had deliberately avoided them as much as possible throughout his career. Generally, the political game on Romulus relied heavily on subterfuge, more so than on other worlds. In avoiding issues directly, politicians never really found themselves in front of podiums dishing out apologies. Unfortunately, Vreenak now found himself in such a position.

"I'll be sure it's paid in full." He said.

"I apologize for the disturbance." He added stiffly. He reached to turn off the viewscreen but was stopped by Sisko's booming voice.

"Just a moment Senator. I have a request."

Of course he did.

"How may I be of assistance?" Vreenak asked, his voice taking on a tightness.

"Given the state of the negotiations, my superiors at Starfleet command have come up with a rather…creative measure that might assist us."

Vreenak nearly snorted. Just what this situation needed, human creativity.

"I've been authorized to institute a cultural exchange program, between members of my own crew and the delegations of the Romulans and Klingons, provided we have your agreement." Sisko explained.

Vreenak raised an eyebrow, "A curious method."

"It would be a 6 week program, taking place here on the station. I'd like to set up a meeting with you to hash out the details, see if you'd be willing to lend your support."

It was clear to Vreenak that this cultural exchange program was nothing more than a ploy by Starfleet to prolong the stay of the delegations on Deep Space Nine. Likely, they thought that such a program would support the idea of "togetherness" or some other equally ridiculous ideal that the Federation professed to uphold. In any case, he was sure his government would never sanction such an endeavor.

That thought bolstered his confidence considerably and he nodded at Sisko, "Perhaps tomorrow morning Captain?"

"0800?"

"That will work."

* * *

The next morning, Vreenak went to meet Sisko in his office. He fervently hoped the Klingons had given an outright rejection, thus putting an end to Starfleet's ill- advised venture, but his hopes were dashed at the sight of General Martok's one eyed visage seated next to Sisko.

He inclined his head politely, "General."

"Senator. Glad to see you in one piece." He chortled, "Heard you took a bit of a tumble."

'Tumble' was a generous word to describe being tossed about by one of the General's own aides.

"Have a seat." Sisko said, "Kali fal? Or perhaps bloodwine?"

Vreenak eyed Sisko's own half drunk glass of the blue liquid, recalling the wide eyed look of shock on the Starfleet ensign's face when she had downed his drink the night before. He guessed that since Sisko was not laid out on the floor, the drink before him was a synthesized version of his homeworld's most famous beverage.

He politely declined, and didn't even entertain the notion of drinking the repulsive bloodwine.

The meeting went on without delay and Sisko's description of the program surprised Vreenak in several ways. First, it would apparently use a partner system that required each pair to spend several hours a week together doing different cultural activities, alternating between cultures with each event. On top of that, there were going to be general meetings where Federation members, Klingons and Romulans discussed their progress. It was up to each faction to select six members of their delegation to participate.

Vreenak predicted utter disaster.

"You can see that in leaving the planning of cultural events to the participants, we're giving them the opportunity to take a more active role." Sisko said.

General Martok grunted, "They'll have equal opportunity to avoid the program entirely if they wish."

"Well, they'll get out of it what they put into it I suppose."

"What is the point of having the program" Vreenak asked irritably, "if you're not going to ensure cooperation from all sides?"

Sisko stood, bracing his hands on his wide desk, "Because in order for one person to share their culture and heritage with another they have to be willing to do so, and in turn have a willing recipient. You can't force cultural learning down someone's throat!"

"And if you find a lack of willing participants?" Vreenak challenged.

"Then our little project has failed." Sisko stated bluntly, "Doesn't mean it isn't worth a try."

Vreenak snorted, "Ever the idealist."

"For once I concur with the Senator." Martok growled, "It seems a bit optimistic."

"What the Senator fails to realize" Sisko looked pointedly at Vreenak "Is that I already have the full cooperation and, dare I say it, enthusiasm from the Proconsul. Perhaps that won't guarantee participation, but it will surely lend some weight to our cause."

"What!?" Vreenak near bellowed, slamming a fist into the arm of his chair.

Sisko fixed his gaze on him, "I was surprised as you are."

Vreenak seriously doubted that.

Martok guffawed, "Your cousin must be nothing like you Vreenak!"

Sisko looked back and forth between both men waiting for an explanation, but Vreenak kept his mouth closed in silent fury.

"The new proconsul is a kinswoman of the venerated Senator here." Martok grinned, his lips pulling back to reveal several rows of sharp white teeth, "She's an unusual woman by Romulan standards, with liberal tendencies."

Sisko repressed the urge to laugh. He had indeed gotten that impression from his conversation with the woman, whose earnest face and curious inquiries were a stark contrast to the seething Romulan in front of him.

"Really? You know Vreenak, I can almost see the family resemblance." Sisko said, grinning at the chagrined Senator.

Vreenak pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to quell the headache that was beginning to throb against his skull.

* * *

"You know, it seems like it will be a rather interesting experience." The proconsul said over the comm later that night.

Vreenak struggled to keep his temper in check, "Proconsul, surely you see that this is nothing but a plot by the Federation to-"

"Yes, yes I know." The proconsul said, waving her hand in what was a decidedly un Romulan like fashion in Vreenak's opinion.

He repressed an adolescent urge to scream in frustration at the situation. He had spent the last few minutes struggling vainly to convince his cousin of the futility of this Federation foolishness.

"But we can spare a few weeks to humor them if it means we learn something more about humans and the Federation." She continued.

"Ael", Vreenak hissed, "Are you certain you're not letting your own peculiar fascination with humans cloud your judgement?"

The proconsul bristled, "And are you certain your own prejudice against humans isn't clouding yours? Perhaps this program would do you some good. Have you considered participating?"

"Of course I won't!"

"You will now. I expect weekly reports from you on your progress."

Progress? Progress in what?

Vreenak gritted his teeth "With all due respect, I am a Romulan senator. My place is on the senate floor, not on a Federation station exploring the supposed joys of human culture!"

Ael smiled sweetly, "And yet the only floor you've been on recently is that of a Ferengi's bar."

Vreenak's face tinged green, "That was-"

"Cousin" Ael interrupted, this time her tone more gentle, "Consider this a recovery period. You served the Empire valiantly during the war with the Dominion. I know it may not be the Romulan way, but allow yourself time to breathe. And believe me when I say that a little human interaction is preferable to the incessant Reman slave debates that are currently occupying the Senate."

She huffed indignantly, "And, by the way, it seems my opinion no longer holds as much standing as it did on that issue. Many senators say I'm biased by my abolitionist views as if-"

"Ael" Vreenak sighed, "I'll do as you ask."

Truth be told, spending time with humans did seem preferable to the never ending debates on Reman slaves. The issue had only grown more polarizing since the use of many Remans against the Jem'Hadar during the war.

"Wonderful! And do remember to write home occasionally, my mother has been asking after you." Ael advised brightly.

Despite himself, Vreenak felt a smile tug at his lips, "Of course."

His cousin's near sunny disposition was off putting to many Romulans, especially in her chosen profession as a politician. However, Vreenak always believed that her success despite that was a testament to her character. She was a formidable woman when she needed to be.

"And you will tell me all about the humans when we next meet?" she queried.

"Naturally."

"Well then, enjoy your time on Deep Space Nine, cousin!"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This is the longest chapter yet! Woohoo! Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks to LornaWinters, Kehlan, WikkityTweak and njmrtl and the lovely Guest for your reviews!

LornaWinters: It's been really fun to write Vreenak this way! He's got a lot more sassiness coming his way ;)

WikkityTweak: I actually just chose the name randomly from a list of Romulan names! I haven't read the Rihannsu series, but it seems like a good thing to look into!

* * *

Once all sides came to an agreement about the program, things started moving fast. The delegations quickly picked out their participants. From the Federation and Klingon delegations, most, surprisingly ended up being volunteers. But, Vreenak wasn't the only unwilling participant. That he had made sure of. Whether it was the vindictive streak in him, or the part that begged for company in his misery, something had prompted him to drag his old friend and colleague Senator Letant into the Federation's little experiment as well.

"Vreenak, this really isn't necessary." Letant protested on the day the news was broken to him.

"Oh, I think it is." Vreenak smirked.

"One senator missing from the senate floor is bad enough, but two?" Letant pressed.

"I think you may be overestimating your importance." Vreenak said.

"And I think, as glad as the senate may be to be rid of you, you're underestimating yours." Letant shot back.

Vreenak chuckled quietly. He had always appreciated the banter he shared with his friend, and he suspected that these talks would make the coming weeks a little more bearable.

He picked up a PADD and scrolled through the data Sisko had sent him that morning about the program. One participant name in particular caught his eye, 'Reina Hence'.

He frowned. It sounded familiar for some reason. As he continued to read through the lists, he realized that Reina Hence had been labelled as his partner for the program's duration.

Letant peered at the list as well,

"Reina Hence." he said, "Your partner?"

"Yes, it would seem so."

"A human?"

Vreenak grimaced, "Indeed."

"Who'd you get?" Ling asked Reina excitedly.

They were poring over a data PADD in Quark's, chattering excitedly about the upcoming program. Reina had jumped at the opportunity to be part of a cultural exchange. She had always been fascinated by alien cultures and was delighted to have the chance to learn something new about one. Especially because the Romulans hadn't exactly been open about things of a cultural nature with the Federation since their first contact.

"I didn't even check!" Reina said, as she began furiously scrolling through the PADD, "Let's see, it says here…Vreenak…oh my God."

"Who?" Ling asked, oblivious to her friend's despair.

Reina buried her head in her hands, "Vreenak….kali fal guy."

"Kali…Reina, we haven't even started the exchange yet. I don't know any Romulan."

"Romulan. Ale."

"Oh! Oh…"

Reina repressed the urge to scream, and she pondered briefly if it was too late to back out of this. Her excitement about studying the wonders of another culture had all but evaporated. There was no way a human hating Romulan senator would make this a decent experience for her. Not to mention, the last time she saw him she could barely stand without his help, hardly the stuff of good first impressions

She sighed heavily, "Well, who did you get Ling?"

"Senator Letant. They're buds right? Maybe we could go on some double dates?" she winked.

"Or we could form a support group for all who have ever had to deal with Romulan senators." Reina replied wryly.

"I'm sure we'd find some willing members from the Klingon delegation."

"Or from any other race across the galaxy."

"Willing members for what?" Bashir sauntered over to their table, drink in hand.

"Doctor!" Ling jumped, knocking over her own drink in the process, "Oh!"

The reddish liquid of her Warp Core Breach seeped over the table, and Reina quickly moved their PADDs out of its path.

"I'll get something to clean that up!" Bashir offered as he hurried away.

Reina shot Ling a sympathetic smile, "You've got it bad, girl."

It was Ling's turn to bury her face in her hands, "So bad."

Reina normally loved to light heartedly tease the science officer about her crush on Julian, but now she could only drum up sympathy after her own embarrassing, alcoholic encounter with Vreenak.

She looked to where Julian stood at the bar, apparently waiting for Quark to fetch a towel. Approaching him was Garak, who had become one of his closest friends on the station, and Reina suspected, something more. She watched Bashir greet the man with a broad smile, and took note of how his entire body seemed to relax in the Cardassian's presence. Yep, definitely something more.

Reina shot a glance at Ling who was busy attempting to brush her beverage from her uniform.

"Hey, let's get out of here." Reina said, moving to collect her things.

Ling looked up from her task, bewildered "But, we just got here and Julian's coming back."

She twisted around, looking for the man in question and her gaze alighted on him and Garak, now drawn deep into conversation, contentment etched across their faces.

"Yeah, never mind. Let's get out of here." Ling muttered.

Reina's gut twisted in sympathy for her friend.

"Let's do something fun!" she offered, jumping up from the table, "What happens at Quark's on a Friday night anyway?"

Ling offered her a pained smile, but moved to follow her.

As they exited the bar, they passed some Romulans grouped together at a table, their dark heads leaned forward in conversation.

With a pang, Reina realized that Vreenak and Letant were among them.

"Maybe now would be a good time to introduce ourselves." Ling said, following Reina's line of vision.

"I guess you're right." Reina said, blowing out a long sigh. There really was no point in delaying it.

With trepidation, they approached the Romulans' table. Several faces turned toward them, scanning them with a fair bit of curiosity. Of course, Vreenak was the last to acknowledge their presence.

"Hello." Reina said, with a smile.

She noticed some faces softened, but others retained the stoicism she had come to expect from the little she'd seen of the Romulans around the station. Vreenak's face was the stoniest of all.

She directed her next words toward him, "I'd just thought I'd introduce myself, again. Since I'm apparently meant to be your partner in the exchange. This is Ling, she's Senator Letant's partner."

Vreenak nodded politely at both her and Ling, but to his side, Letant offered a smile and extended his hand toward Ling. She took it, smiling politely in turn. It didn't surprise Reina that Vreenak didn't offer her the same gesture.

"I remember you from yesterday." Vreenak said suddenly, "Were you very sick from the kali-fal?"

A few Romulans around him chuckled, letting Reina know that the story had gotten around. Likely due to the aggravating Neral, the guard who had escorted her back to her quarters.

Instead of embarrassment, Reina was now experiencing a strong sense of resolve. She hated being condescended to, and she was determined to not let his attitude cow her.

She laughed, "No, thank goodness I wasn't. I had a very restful night, in fact. Did your injuries heal nicely?"

Vreenak frowned, "Yes. Apparently, despite your unbecoming conduct you are a competent physician."

Reina continued to smile, "What a compliment."

"It wasn't."

"I'm aware, Senator, I'm just introducing you to the concept of sarcasm. It's common among humans."

"We have it on Romulus."

"Excellent! A few more exchanges like this and I think we'll mark the program down as a success."

Letant observed the conversation with undisguised amusement, while Ling's eyes darted between Reina and Vreenak, worriedly observing the lines of tension on their faces.

Reina stared directly at Vreenak's surprisingly, blue eyes, watching as they flickered from anger to…amusement? The moment was gone when Vreenak turned his attention to Letant.

"Senator, I believe we were about to leave."

Letant looked at him in surprise, but agreed, "Yes, I believe so."

Vreenak stood immediately upon his agreement, and began walking away. Letant stood as well, but turned to Reina and Ling first, "A pleasure to meet you both."

His eyes lingered a bit on Ling before he turned to follow Vreenak. The other Romulans at the table turned back to their conversation.

* * *

"Can you believe that?" Reina seethed as she and Ling lounged in her quarters later that night, "The man is so arrogant!"

Ling laughed, "You were giving it as good as you got though."

"Of course! I wasn't going to stand there and listen to his pathetic attempts to embarrass me. You know, he's got more reason to be embarrassed, frankly. Getting his ass handed to him in a seedy bar."

Ling shrugged, "Maybe that's why he was lashing out."

"Ugh, I don't care. I just can't wait for these six weeks to be over."

Reina drained her glass of red wine, then went to pour another.

"And what about you?" she asked Ling, "You're stuck with Letant! How do you feel about that?"

"He seems a lot nicer than Vreenak at least. Maybe it won't be so bad."

Reina sipped at her wine, hoping at least one of them would come out of this with their sanity intact.

* * *

"I don't understand what you take issue with." Letant said, for what Vreenak estimated to be the eleventh time that hour.

"Spending time with gorgeous, intelligent women is not exactly a punishment!" he continued.

"If it were up to me I would not be spending time with Starfleet officers of any kind, regardless of their beauty or intelligence, which is in question I might add." Vreenak argued.

"Oh I don't think it is. But you do agree that they're beautiful?" Letant pressed, a smirk forming on his face.

Vreenak instantly thought of Reina's exotic curly, blonde hair. Several wispy, tendrils had escaped her bun and framed her soft, brown eyes as she had fiercely defended herself against him.

"No."

"Neither?"

"The one of Asian origin is aesthetically pleasing."

Letant laughed loudly, "I suggest you adopt a gentler manner toward your partner, or else these six weeks will be hell for you."

Vreenak suspected these six weeks would be hell regardless.

* * *

The exchange was scheduled to begin a few days later, on Monday. It was agreed that after the tumultuous events of the weekend it would be best not to have any general meetings or opening ceremonies. Instead, as Sisko had first stipulated, it was up to the exchange pairs to arrange their own introductory meetings. Starfleet had provided some general guidelines for how the first meeting should go, which Reina had hurriedly scanned through on her PADD before getting dressed in black leggings and a brown tunic.

Vreenak and Reina had arranged to meet at a small café on the Promenade. It offered a wide range of foods from across the galaxy, and even some experimental dishes from the Gamma quadrant. Reina figured neutral territory was ideal for the first meeting, and the lack of Starfleet presence would hopefully lessen his aggression. Most importantly, Reina knew for a fact that Ling had chosen the same location for her meeting with Letant, so if things went terribly wrong, she had an ally.

She waited at a table she had found far into the café. It afforded some privacy, which she thought Vreenak might appreciate. It also placed her away from the café front window, which she suspected she would be tempted to jump out of after a few minutes in the senator's company.

She checked the time. He was two minutes late. And here she thought Romulans were known for their punctuality.

Five minutes. Maybe she had been wrong. Perhaps his lateness was a cultural quirk.

Looking to the other side of the café, Reina saw Ling engaged in conversation with Letant, both sipping at their beverages. Not a cultural thing then.

Ten minutes. Definitely deliberate.

At fifteen minutes, Reina stood to leave, attracting Ling's attention. Her friend shot her a worried look. Reina waved and smiled tightly, letting her know it was alright, then left the café.

"Looks like Senator Vreenak didn't show up." Ling laughed nervously.

"My colleague can be quite the stubborn fool when he wants to be. I'm sure your friend will straighten him out." Letant said.

He smiled wolfishly over the rim of his cup at Ling, who blushed slightly, "Now, where were we?"

* * *

Reina struggled to keep her temper in check as she stood face to face with Neral. The guard was currently throwing every excuse in the book at her as to why Vreenak was unavailable.

"I know for a fact he doesn't have a meeting scheduled with Sisko, because he has a meeting scheduled with me." Reina seethed.

The dark eyes of the Romulan stared down at her contemptuously.

"Then perhaps he just doesn't want to see you." he shot back.

"Oh no, he's not getting away with that. Stubborn Romulan mule."

She reached around Neral to knock at the door, but was stopped when he gripped her arm tightly and wrenched her back.

"The Senator is not taking visitors." he repeated sternly.

Meeting Neral's eyes, Reina defiantly stuck out one leg and kicked the hard, metal door. The resounding thud made Neral's face tighten in anger.

"Human! you are-"

He was cut off by the opening of the door. Neral and Reina stood frozen in front Vreenak, as he looked on with mild amusement.

"Ms. Hence. Can I help you?" Vreenak asked smirking.

Reina ripped her arm away from Neral and turned to Vreenak, "Why didn't you show?"

Vreenak raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps if you demonstrated some patience-"

"You were fifteen minutes late!"

"Was I? Oh dear, where did the time go?"

Neral smirked at Vreenak's blatant sarcasm, and Reina felt as if her head was going to explode. She let out a loud laugh of disbelief.

"You know what, Vreenak, forget it. I'm not going to deal with this. I'll talk to Sisko right now and release you from being my partner."

He scoffed, "You and I both know that is impossible. We're under the command of our superiors."

Reina sighed and rubbed her temples tiredly. Unfortunately, he was right.

"Then cooperate with me here a little." she said, "It can't hurt to try."

Vreenak abruptly turned and walked back into his quarters motioning for Reina to follow. She did so hesitantly, shooting Neral a scowl before the doors slid shut behind her.

Vreenak pulled out a chair from the dining table, and uncorked the bottle of kali-fal sitting on it, before pouring himself a drink. Reina was beginning to think the man was an alcoholic, though she probably didn't have much room to talk. He settled into the chair, crossing his legs and looking every bit an authoritative senator. Reina hated him for his apparent ease, and it didn't escape her notice that he didn't pull out a chair for her. Perhaps he expected this meeting to be quick, but Reina was determined to stick around as long as possible.

She pulled out a chair next to him and straddled it, arms crossed over the top.

His eyes scanned her posture, in such a way that Reina had to resist the urge to straighten her back or arrange her hair in a more flattering shape. She was noticing that this was a reoccurring reaction she had to him.

She cleared her throat, "All right then Vreenak, what's the deal here?"

His eyes snapped up to meet hers, "I suggest we…fake our participation in the program."

"As in make up everything on our reports and then bullshit our way through the general meetings?"

His lip curled in distaste at her wording "Correct."

Reina paused for a second, considering the pros and cons of such an arrangement. Pro, she wouldn't have to deal with Vreenak. Con…she wouldn't have to deal with Vreenak. As much as she dreaded talking to the man, she couldn't deny a burning curiosity she held for him. He was cold, sharp and foreboding as his physical features reflected, but Reina has always loved a challenge. It was what brought her to join Starfleet, the thrill of being thrust into unfamiliar situations and relying on your wits and wiles to overcome obstacles. And right now, Vreenak was definitely an obstacle to the task she had been assigned in this exchange.

Reina's mind drifted to the night she met him. That was certainly a score unsettled. The Starfleet officer in her longed to prove her worth to him, show that she was far more capable than what that first meeting had shown.

Then there were those hands of his that she had dreamt about, only the other night. She looked at them now, occupied with gripping the glass of kali-fal. Her gaze drifted upward, taking in the expanse of his chest and the place his collar met his long neck. Briefly, she found herself wondering what it would be like to plant a kiss right there. She imagined pressing her body against his, thawing his cold exterior with many such warm kisses. Romulans were rumored to be a passionate, emotional species, and yet the man in front of her looked about as emotional as a rock. What would it be like to elicit affection from such a man?

A cough from Vreenak alerted Reina that he was still awaiting her answer. She looked up, embarrassed to find him watching her peruse his body, with an amused glint in his eye. Now was definitely not the right time to be pondering her attraction to the man.

"No." she said firmly.

"Excuse me?" his brows furrowed in confusion.

"We're committed to this project, you and I." Reina said, "And your first lesson starts here."

She reached over and plucked the kali-fal from his hand, "On Earth, a good host always offers their guest a drink."

She sipped delicately this time, remembering her last encounter with the beverage. Vreenak stared at her for a minute, shocked.

"Is it also a human custom to take someone else's drink?" he ground out.

Reina smiled, "Oh no, that's a personal quirk. I have a lot of those."

"Ms. Hence-"

"Please, call me Reina. What's your given name by the way?"

"You may address me as Senator Vreenak, at all times." he hissed.

"Okay then, Vreeny."

"Ms. Hence!"

"Reina, please!"

"I will not participate in this ridiculous Starfleet charade of a program!" he shouted.

Reina stared at him a moment.

"Vreenak, I understand that you believe are many things that make Romulans superior to humans."

He folded his hands in his lap, in an attempt to compose himself, "That's hardly a belief. Many would argue it is based in fact."

"Hmm." Reina's finger traced the rim of her glass thoughtfully, while Vreenak watched her expectantly.

"Well, if there's one thing we outdo you in, I'd say it's compromise. Humans have a knack for making do with the worst situations, even the ones we find especially distasteful."

She smiled sardonically at him, then rose from the chair, "I'll send you my schedule and we'll work something out for this week."

"Ms. Hence-"

"Ensign" she cut him off, "If you won't use my given name, I expect you to at least use my rank. I've earned it after all."

Vreenak met her gaze, surprised at this show of backbone. A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. She was certainly irritating, but this human might prove to be an interesting partner after all.

"Very well, Ensign." he said smoothly. He rose from his chair gracefully, standing close to her. Taking the kali fal from her hands, he let his fingers brush against hers for an indecent amount of time, and Reina repressed a shiver at the sensation. He drained the rest of the beverage quickly, then met her gaze.

"Perhaps our next encounter should involve a nonalcoholic beverage." he suggested.

"Agreed." she whispered, a little distracted by the Senator's proximity.

"Though I'm beginning to get a taste for kali fal." she added louder.

Vreenak stepped away, "Until next time, Ensign."

* * *

Later, Reina met up with Ling. She was delighted to hear that Ling's meeting with Letant had gone smoothly. Apparently, he wasn't as temperamental as his friend.

"He has a really nice smile for a Romulan, too." Ling was saying.

Reina was at least comforted to know that she wasn't the only one who was finding her Romulan strangely alluring. But, she definitely wasn't quite ready to admit that to her friend just yet.

"So am I going to be the only member of the Romulan support group?" Reina griped teasingly.

Ling laughed, "We'll see! It's only the first meeting. We're gonna be spending a lot of time with these guys."

And to Reina, that was both a terrifying and exciting prospect.


	4. Chapter 4

General Martok sat at Quark's bar watching the Ferengi fastidiously rub a smudged glass as his narrowed eyes scanned the establishment with interest. From the few times Martok had come in contact with the man, he picked up that this was a habit for him. People from all over the galaxy flowed through Quark's, thanks to the presence of the Bajoran wormhole which had caused a boost in traffic. Some days the flow in the bar took the form of a trickle, and other days, like today, it was a river after a storm. The possibility of someone not paying their bill in this large crowd was surely not far from the Ferengi's mind.

Martok watched the shifting facial expressions on Quark's face, as he assessed one threat after another. His large, sensitive ears began twitching at something particularly distressing. Amused, Martok followed his gaze to the source of the discontent.

A group of jovial Bolians at one of the nearby tables were laughing uproariously. Their neighbors, a group of Denobulans who had just arrived, seemed less than amused at their antics. With a grumble, Quark dropped the glass to the table and hurried over, no doubt to prevent the loss of valuable business.

As Quark busied himself berating the Bolians, Martok's eyes were drawn to a laughing, human woman seated not far from the Denobulans. Her dark, smiling eyes were fixed on a man in front of her, though he could only see the back of his head. Martok's lip curled, glad he was unable to hear the man's, no doubt, extraordinarily, witty dialogue that apparently so delighted the woman. Human mating rituals were so bizarre.

The man suddenly turned his head, making visible his bowled haircut and sharp features. Senator Letant. So, Starfleet's exchange program seemed to be progressing better than anticipated, at least with this partnership. Martok watched as the woman briefly excused herself with a smile and walked over to the bar, not far from where Martok had seated himself. He recognized her as one of Starfleet's personnel. Though with her long, black hair sweeping past her shoulders and the genial look she wore, she appeared nothing like the uptight officers he saw so frequently on the station.

"Excuse me" she directed this toward the bar hand, another Ferengi.

"Could I get a Risan Sun Rise?"she asked, smiling.

"Uhh, I'm afraid we don't have that." the Ferengi fumbled, "But I could get you some Rigelian bloodwine?"

She shrugged "I'll take it!"

Martok resisted the urge to laugh. The sweetness of a Risan Sun Rise was a far cry from the robust taste of a Rigelian bloodwine. It was rather kind of her to accept the Ferengi's counteroffer, Martok realized. It was a genuine kindness as well, not the type humans so tended to when it was easier than confrontation. Kindness was not a trait Klingons were known for, but they could appreciate genuineness. It was a trait, Martok believed, many species found refreshing.

He watched with growing interest as the woman finished her exchange with the Ferengi. As the turned to leave the crowded bar, her eye caught his from across the room. Her smile faltered, and she looked at him with concern. Martok realized that in his concentration he was no doubt glowering at the girl. He quickly relaxed his features to a more neutral position and raised his glass to her.

Her dark eyes flickered over him briefly before her lip curled and transformed her face with the same affable air she had worn before. She raised her glass in return, then retreated to her table and the Romulan. Martok studied the man's reaction as she returned to him. His charm seemed to be operated by a switch, in an almost duplicitous way, a typical trait for Romulans. This combined with the Starfleet officer's radiant smiles made it no wonder that he had mistaken them for a couple. They seemed very cozy with each other, indeed. With a sigh, Martok drained the rest of his own bloodwine and left the bar.

* * *

Reina sat curled up on her couch imagining being eaten up by its cushions. She pictured it giving a loud belch after it swallowed her whole. After that, it could spread the word. Let every other piece of furniture in the galaxy know how delicious humans were. Then the galactic feast would begin and the Federation would surely be too distracted to continue this exchange program. Goodbye, Vreenak.

But alas, that dream would never come to pass. Reina was sure to find herself under Vreenak's scrutinizing, blue gaze soon enough, and this time, she would be trying to explain the finer points of Earth cuisine. Food was a safe enough topic to start off with, Reina had figured. Vreenak seemed satisfied with her suggestion and now she perused a database on her PADD full of Terran recipes. It was hard to imagine discussing any of them with the Senator.

Hoping for some inkling about his preferences, she flipped to another screen on her PADD to access his biography on the Starfleet database. This certainly wasn't the first time she had read up on the man. The day before she had educated herself on his Senatorial record and his diplomatic experiences. To her surprise, he had been assigned to missions on Andoria, Betazed, and even Vulcan. His domestic record was no less impressive, revealing that in the past two years he had pushed through five bills in a time where the Senate was fractious and political tensions high. There was little doubt the man was accomplished.

Reina hated it, but she desperately wanted to impress the man. She chalked it up to her training in Starfleet, which strongly emphasized pleasing your superiors. And the thing was, Reina never had an issue with that. In every assignment she had been given, she had earned the respect of both her peers and leaders. Sure, she butted heads with people occasionally, but regardless there was a recognition that she had earned her place in Starfleet. With Vreenak, there were too many factors that slanted him against her for her to win over him easily. It was healthy to be challenged, however Reina reasoned. It might not always be a pleasant business, but it was bound to happen occasionally.

However, Reina knew for certain that the flutterings in her stomach and the direction of her thoughts about the man were not par for the course in a situation like this. Every time he fixed his gaze on her, she felt like she was twelve years old again, nursing a crush on William Patton down the road. William was the heartthrob of the neighborhood, always quick with a smile and eager to help with whatever task someone had for him. Will worked on her parents' front lawn at the insistence of her father, who liked his lawn cut the old fashioned way, with particular attention paid to its corners. Will would always mow in the late afternoon, when the sun shed beams of light on his sandy brown hair, given it a golden hue. He had looked like an absolute angel. Even now, Reina could distinctly feel the peculiar pattern her heart would beat when he was close and the giddiness he evoked.

Vreenak, on the other hand, was a different sort of beast altogether. With him, there were no distinctly human smiles that were aimed to comfort or tease. He only aimed to calculate, and Reina longed to both throw him for a loop and prove her worth.

As she continued to scroll through the recipes, she found one that she hoped would accomplish the former. With a grin, she tapped a few times on the PADD to bring up a recipe and made a list of ingredients.

The door to her quarters slid open with a hiss and Ling walked in the room. Reina has long since given her the access code to her quarters. She eyed Reina's broad smile with trepidation.

"What's got you so cheery?" she asked.

Reina placed the PADD on the low coffee table in front of her, "Just making plans for the Senator. I want to be certain he learns a thing or two from this."

"Hmmm. You're doing food, right?"

"Yep."

"Don't feed him live octopus."

Reina gasped with mock indignation, "You think, I, would put him through such a traumatic experience this early on? Never."

Ling eyed her, "Okay, just remember that when you tried it in Tokyo you were near tears."

Reina smirked, "I could handle it if it means I get to watch him suffer."

Shaking her head, Ling seated herself next to Reina on the couch.

"How about sushi then?" Reina asked, "It's iconic yet polarizing, and a classic."

Ling nodded tiredly, "Makes sense to me."

Reina studied her friend's face, noting lines of tension "You okay?"

Ling yawned "Yeah, yeah. Just tired, long day."

"Any particular reason you stopped by?"

"I just-" Ling paused a moment, "These Romulans are really something aren't they?"

"That's one way of putting it."

"I mean, Letant is so charming. But sometimes you can't help but feel they're putting on a show. I mean, deception is a big part of their culture, isn't it?"

Reina blinked, considering her words for a moment "I think it can be. But they also don't shy away from expressing how they feel. At least, Vreenak doesn't. It's pretty clear what he thinks of me when I talk to him. And he knows what I think of him."

Ling smiled knowingly "I think your honesty with each other is the start of a beautiful something."

"A beautiful something" Reina repeated dryly.

"Yes! I mean, you don't waste time pretending to get along. I feel that so much tension in relationships comes from pretense, and here you two are openly disliking each other. It can only get better."

Reina stared at her friend, trying to find some clue as to the source of this outburst.

"Is something bothering you? You don't usually talk like this,"she said, warily.

Ling shook her head, "No, it's nothing really. Just some thoughts.

"Are you-"

Ling laid a hand on Reina's knee "I'm fine. Just tired, really"

"Okay." Reina watched her friend closely. Whatever was bothering her, tonight would not be the night to discuss it.

"I'm gonna get to bed," Ling said.

"Yeah, I think I'll follow your lead. Got a session to prepare for good, old Vreeny!"

Ling laughed lightly, "Well, I wish you luck with that."

After Ling had left, Reina drew up a list of ingredients and a game plan for the following day. It was simple and straightforward. Vreenak would come over to her quarters, they would eat and discuss their thoughts. If the conversation stalled, Reina would turn to her strategically placed vintage books around her quarters. They had served as conversation starters in the past. Reina smiled wryly as she recalled a visit from Sisko that ended with a heated discussion about the usefulness of studying ancient English literature thanks to one of these books.

Reina did a brief review of the space, as she knew she had very little time to prepare between the end of her shift and Vreenak's arrival. She was surprised to realize her anxiety about the situation, for now, was gone. Ling's cryptic words had been both relieving and thrilling. If she believed in the possibility of their relationship improving, well, then it might just happen. Of course, it didn't change the fact that for now, the man was unbearable and that Reina would no doubt be on the defensive for a while.

Still, Reina allowed a little thread of optimism grip her as she drifted off to sleep that night.

* * *

Vreenak stood outside of Ensign Hence's quarters, allowing himself a little time to prepare before announcing his presence

This little Federation scheme was still, in his opinion, a waste of time. Wasting time for political purposes had never been a favorite past time of his, even when he used the tactic himself. However, it was bearable. What was not bearable, however, was the woman on the other side of that door.

He told himself he had no desire to spend time with such a temperamental, ridiculous woman, who drank all his kali-fal, no less. The image of her delicately sipping at his glass while her warm, brown eyes arrested him challengingly, popped into his mind. Again, ridiculous.

Before he followed that train of thought into dangerous territory, he pressed on the communicator panel to announce his presence.

"Ensign Hence, this is Senator Vreenak"

The door slid open with a hiss. Reina stood before him in an apron over a dark sweater, wearing a brilliant smile.

"Hello, Senator."

He offered a tight smile in return "Ensign"

"You're late" she noted.

"Hardly" he responded tersely.

"It's 7:01" she pointed.

"I was here at 7:00"

"So you just stood outside the door for a whole minute?" Reina pressed.

"Yes"

"Contemplating whether or not to run?"

"I see now that I made the wrong decision"

Reina laughed brightly "Well, please come in!" she strode away, clearly expecting him to follow.

The woman was already testing his patience.

Vreenak examined her quarters with curiosity. He hadn't expected so much…color. Granted, it was mostly drowned out by the gray of the bulkhead walls; it was difficult for even the most ardent decorators to overcome the ever present color on the station. But there were spots of color from art on the walls, and knickknacks of various sorts on two large shelves pressed against a wall. She had even thrown blankets across the back of the couch, giving the room a homey feel. Vreenak fingered one of these with curiosity and suspected it was handmade. All in all, it was a pleasant room, for a human to inhabit at least.

He turned his attention to the kitchen area where Reina was standing at the counter, arranging some food on a dish. She noticed him watching.

"Feel free to take a seat, do you want water or anything to drink?"

"That depends, will you take it right out of my hands again?"

Reina laughed "You're safe for now"

"Water would be fine then" he replied.

He sat on the couch, and Reina soon joined him placing a glass of water in his hand and a dish of food on the table. She sat on the couch next to him, tucking her feet under her legs. He observed her relaxed posture with interest. Such an informal greeting would be reserved for family on Romulus. He couldn't decide if this style was one of her 'quirks' or just common practice on Earth.

His eyes were drawn to the food she had placed in front of him. It was composed of circular pieces with brightly colored shapes of some substance in the center, surrounded by a white layer. He had to admit it didn't look unappetizing.

Belatedly, he realized he still had the container with his food offering in his hand.

"This is my dish," he said, handing it over to Reina.

"What is it?" she asked, beginning to pry the lid open.

"A dessert"

"Perfect!"

"Will we eat here?" Vreenak queried.

Reina shrugged, "I thought it was a good spot. This is meant to be a cultural experience, not a meal. Formality doesn't seem too necessary."

"So this is not usual for you?"

"Eating at the coffee table? No."

"I mean, maintaining such an informal atmosphere."

Reina paused a moment, then slowly said "Typically, if I don't know a person well I act with some formality. As with your case."

"But not tonight?" Vreenak asked still perplexed at her demeanor.

"No, tonight I've decided to receive you as a friend." Reina offered him a timid smile.

"I hope that's alright" she continued, "I thought it'd be more conducive to our task here. Besides, it might help us get along. I think we're capable of that."

Vreenak gazed at her a moment, a bit taken aback at her honesty. If she were Romulan he'd have instantly suspected some ulterior motive, but being who she was, he couldn't think of a reason she'd have for misleading him. It made him wonder what prompted this apparent change of heart.

"Very well," he said, "What do we have here then?"

He gestured toward the plate.

"Oh, that's called sushi. It's a dish originating from an area on Earth called Japan. It has rice, seafood, and vegetables."

"Hmmm, how do you eat it?"

Reina pointed to a pair of wooden sticks next to the plate.

Vreenak cocked an eyebrow "Those are utensils I assume?"

"Yes, here I'll show you."

She picked up the sticks and clinched the top one, cradling the other in the crook of her thumb. She clicked them together, demonstrating that the food was meant to be pinched in between them.

Vreenak frowned, "It isn't the most efficient system is it?"

"Only if you're not used to it, but it's something to try." Reina returned.

Vreenak smiled at the terseness in her tone "Very well. May I?"

She handed him the sticks and watched for a moment as he struggled to place them in the same configuration Reina had shown him. After his third attempt, Reina moved to help.

"No, here, like this"

She gently adjusted the placement of his fingers, and Vreenak watched in fascination as her small hands moved over his. They were cool to the touch, pleasantly so. And soft. He found himself imagining what it would be like to lift one to his lips and delicately kiss each finger, one by one.

Disturbed at how quickly this image had popped into his head, he yanked his hand away, "I think I understand now, thank you, Ensign"

"Fine" she replied tersely. He detected the note of umbrage in her voice, but for the moment chose to ignore it.

Using the strange utensils, he managed to bring a piece of the 'sushi' to his mouth. He decided it was quite tasty. As he reached for another one, he was stopped by Reina.

"Try some wasabi with it. The green stuff. Take a good chunk, though, it's pretty mild in flavor" Reina advised breezily.

Using one of the sticks, he pieced of a section of the green substance on the plate and scraped it onto a piece of sushi. He popped it in his mouth. Almost immediately, he shouted and dropped the stick.

"What? What's wrong?" Reina asked worriedly.

Vreenak felt tears spring to his eyes as he felt his mouth bursting into flames, "That is incredibly spicy"

"Really? That's so strange. It's not to humans."

"Well, how wonderful for them" Vreenak muttered before draining his water.

"I'll grab you another one," Reina said sweetly, taking the glass.

After polishing off two more glasses of water, Vreenak decided to give sushi a break.

"Perhaps, now would be a good time to try the dish I brought," Vreenak said tightly. He was not altogether surprised that tasting human food should be such an unpleasant experience, but it was unwelcome all the same.

"Good idea," Reina said. She opened Vreenak's container and stared at the orange, circular confection within curiously.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's called an Osol twist, quite tart by Romulan standards, but perhaps with your apparently invincible tongue it will taste sweet," Vreenak remarked acidly.

Vreenak watched as Reina bit back a smile. He was beginning to suspect that she had deliberately led him astray with the wasabi. Her reaction to this twist might reveal the truth.

"Oh no," Reina replied, "I think our ability to process spice and bitterness are separate. In this case, I'll suffer just as much as you"

Vreenak narrowed his eyes "It would be interesting, actually, to see your reaction to the wasabi. I'd be curious to compare"

"You have quite a fixation on comparing Romulans and humans, don't you Vreenak?"

He held her gaze "Simply curious, that's all. To see if you're as unaffected as you say."

"Fine" Reina said.

She reached over and began tearing off a piece of wasabi.

"My piece was a little larger than that" Vreenak said.

Amused, he watched as she struggled to control her frustration. Now, he was almost sure she had lied.

"Fine" Reina repeated, pulling off a bit more. She popped the green glob in her mouth and held Vreenak's gaze as she chewed on it.

Vreenak watched as she struggled to hold her face in check. Her brown eyes brightened with tears, as she held in a cough. He smiled.

"See, I'm fine."she choked out weakly.

"Most impressive indeed. You have me quite convinced of the superiority of the human tongue" Vreenak said evenly.

"Well, I'm glad you've learned something," Reina said. Her face had begun to turn a slight shade of red.

"You know, if we've finished with the sushi I think I'll just take this out of the way"

Without waiting for a reply, she whisked the dish off the table and ran. Vreenak didn't need to turn around to know that she was likely preparing herself several glasses of water. As he waited for her to finish up her pretense, he examined some of the other objects on the table with interest. He picked up one in the shape of a rectangle and ran his hand over the smooth, hard backing. He found he could open it to reveal hundreds of sheets stacked together, containing line after line of what he assumed to be an Earth script.

"Ah, you found one of my books"

Reina returned to the couch with a plop, looking considerably better.

"Is that what it is called?"

"Yes, it's how information and stories were shared prior to technological advancements"

He thumbed through its pages, "I believe something similar existed in Romulus' history"

"Before the split with Vulcan?" Reina asked.

Vreenak's dark eyebrows drew together as he frowned, "That is not a subject many Romulans enjoy discussing"

"Of course not"

He ignored her sarcastic tone "What is the subject of this book?"

"It's a novel, actually. The Princess Casamassima by Henry James. It was written several hundred years ago"

"This could not possibly be a copy from that time" he stated. For some reason, this seemed to annoy Reina.

"Yes, I'm more than aware of that," she said sharply "This is from a company that specializes in recreating vintage items"

"Could you not find the novel in a database?" Vreenak asked. He failed to see the point of purchasing such an item.

"Well yes, but there's something nice about having the pages in front of you. Knowing that it contains the elements of a story from start to finish. It's a world in your hands, really"

Vreenak watched Reina's face transform with excitement as she described this. He hadn't expected such a passionate defense of her choice in purchases. From his experience, many humans were apt to explain that such a thing was a guilty pleasure, or done on a whim. Reina had found justification and satisfaction in her choice. This intrigued him, but he was hesitant to admit any such thing.

"I had read that humans tend to romanticize archaic items nonsensically"

He watched the excitement in her eyes dim with a pang of guilt. He hadn't expected his words to hit so hard.

He cleared his throat, "You haven't tried the Osol twist"

Wordlessly, she reached for the container and chose one at random. She bit into it and chewed for a moment, contemplating.

"That's actually really good!" she said before popping the rest of it in her mouth.

"You're surprised?" Vreenak asked.

Reina swallowed "Well, I don't know if you're aware but Romulus isn't exactly renowned for their culinary creations. Or for much of anything cultural for that matter"

Vreenak scoffed, "I suppose I should have expected such an ignorant response from a Starfleet officer"

"I guess so, " Reina said, standing. She had tensed considerably. "Thank you for coming Senator. I'll contact you to arrange our next rendezvous"

Vreenak stood as well, observing the bright anger in Reina's eyes. After this exchange, he would have expected to feel similarly, or at least irritated, but instead, there was nothing but a lingering sense of dissatisfaction. He attempted to salvage what he could of their conversation.

"May I suggest a topic?" he asked.

"Go right ahead"

"Music"

"Music?" she seemed taken aback.

"Yes, I understand Earth is fairly diverse in this area"

"As it is with all areas"

"Indeed, however, music holds a special interest for me"

Reina gazed at him thoughtfully, "All right then, music"

They walked toward the door.

"And there's something I'd like to say before you go" Reina started, turning toward Vreenak.

The door slid open and the harsh light from the hallway spilled into the quarters, illuminating them. The light caused Vreenak to notice a slight sparkling on Reina's lips. He realized it was sugar, no doubt from the Osol twist. Without thinking, he reached out and delicately brushed it off with his thumb.

Reina stared at him dumbfounded "Senator, why-"

Vreenak cleared his throat, "There was some sugar, on your lip"

Reina's eyes widened as she met his gaze. He was sure her shock was mirrored on his own face.

"I will be in contact with you," he said shortly, before turning on his heel and striding away.

A/N: Yikes! It's been four months since I've updated. Where does the time go?! Anyway, I'm back on board and ready to keep this story moving. I had a wonderful session the other day where I plotted all sorts of interesting things to put these characters through. I'm excited to keep developing this, and once again, many, many thanks to everyone who has read or reviewed! Special thanks to Vreenak, Letant, and Neral for their most poetic reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Many thanks to WikkityTweak and njmrtl for their kind reviews!

WikkityTweak: Reina's definitely been fun to dig into a bit. I'm excited to do more of it. And I'm glad you like the LingxLetant drama, because there's more of that coming up!

njmrtl: Yes! It's good to be back.

Reina arranged to meet Ling for drinks later that evening. At 2200 hours, she sat a Quark's bar drumming her fingertips on its surface as she waited impatiently for service.

In some ways, the evening with Vreenak had gone exactly as she had predicted. Had she hoped for less snarky comments from the man? Absolutely. Though that certainly wasn't expected. But what was even less expected was him touching her so tenderly. For a moment it had seemed natural, comforting even. The fallout of that moment had seen her respond to him by gaping like an asthmatic fish. The drumming of her fingers rapidly increased as she recalled Vreenak's dark eyes, colored with some unnamed emotion as he stared at her. Why was it that the man was such a mystery to her?

He had been quick to duck out of there, so clearly the gesture, which had made time suspend for Reina, meant nothing to him. And she feared that the way he affected her had been very transparent in that moment. Unable to bear another second of reflection on _that_ thought she twisted around in her seat, looking for some distraction.

Some ways down the bar, Quark was deep in conversation with a skeevy looking man, no doubt discussing some scheme that would land them with mountains of gold, pressed latinum. If the look on Quark's face was any indication, the conversation would not end anytime soon. Reina's impatience mounted.

"Quark!" she finally snapped, "could you leave your conniving for another time and see to your customers?"

Quark glowered at her before tearing himself away from his companion with regretful apologies.

"Very rude of you, Ensign, to assume that what we were doing, was conniving"

Reina was unfazed, "And yet, that's exactly what you were doing"

Quark looked unashamed "I'm negotiating business, that's all. What's got you so aggressive this evening?"

Ling appeared at that moment, sliding into the seat next to Reina.

"Hey! What'd I miss?" she asked.

"Oh, just me, being emotionally abused by your friend here" Quark somehow felt obliged to answer.

"At this point, I should charge her for therapy costs" he shot Reina a scowl.

"Quark, with the amount of wine I purchase here, you have enough to have three therapists working on you full time"

"The Risan wine?"

"Yep"

"Coming right up"

Quark scurried away, eager to make the sale.

"He just understands me like no one else can. What a guy." Reina sighed dramatically, placing her chin in her hand.

"Wow, I've never heard you talk about a man like that. Have you considered proposing?" Lee said.

Reina lifted her head off her chin, a look of contemplation on her face "You're right"

"Hey Quark!" she shouted, "You wanna get married?"

The Ferengi in question, who was busy pouring a glass of dark, red wine, shot her a glare.

"That's not the first time you've asked him, is it?" Lee commented.

"And it won't be the last"

Quark returned with the glass, sliding it in front of Reina.

"Thank you, thank you Quark!" Reina muttered before taking a gulp.

"You can thank me by quitting with the marriage proposals. How do you think that makes me look?"

"You? How do you think that makes her look? Desperation isn't cute" Ling interjected.

"Yeah, well she doesn't have tables of customers sensitive to disruptions" Quark retorted, "You saw what happened with the Denobulans the other day"

Reina drained the rest of her glass before commenting "It's a bar! What kind of atmosphere are they expecting? I mean there's practically a holographic prostitution ring upstairs-wait, what were you here for Ling?"

Ling looked taken aback "Me? Oh, I was-"

"She was here with that Romulan senator" Quark interrupted, "Not bad for a Romulan, he tipped well"

Reina dropped her head to the side, aiming a conspiratorial smile at Ling "Really? What cultural exchange did this involve?"

"We just talked! I mean, communication is important in these types of things. We haven't planned activities, per se, but-" Ling tried to explain.

"So, he's taking you out?"

"I mean-"

"And to Quark's?"

"Well-"

"What kind of low life is this guy?"

"Hey!" Quark interjected.

Reina ignored him "I'm kidding, of course. But, seriously, this is sounding more like dating"

"Well, if you would let me do the explaining" Ling began with an edge of impatience.

"Sorry," Reina muttered, before turning her attention to the second glass of wine Quark had placed in front of her.

Ling sighed, "To sum it up, it has been more like dating. And it's only been a couple of times, but he's determined to be charming, and flirtatious. And I can tell, he's persistent. Basically, he's the type of guy my mother would adore"

Reina grinned. Ling's mother, Sying, was galaxy renowned thanks to her exploits. She had started with a career in transportation services, mostly splitting her time between Earth and Vulcan. This came to a screeching halt, when, to protest new Federation regulations on interplanetary business, she hijacked a shuttle. Nothing much happened from there, as she was apprehended by Federation authorities quickly. The real instance that catapulted her onto the galactic stage, was the manner in which she extracted herself from custody. The Starfleet officer assigned to preside over her case was a divorcee, and apparently easily susceptible to charming woman. And charm him she did. Not only was she cleared of charges, but she married the man two weeks later. It was a brilliant ploy, really. The story of their miraculous love story sent the press into a frenzy, balancing out the outcry against the clear corruption of the case. Sadly, and not surprisingly, the marriage ended quietly in a divorce a month after the fact.

But that wasn't the end of Sying's exploits. After twenty years, six husbands, and dozens of scandals involving dozens of worlds, Sying had done what all infamous personalities worth their salt did. She wrote a book. And to no one's surprise, the tell-all autobiography was at the top of the galactic charts. Last Reina had heard, Sying was on a book tour, as well as juggling several law suits from various political juggernauts in the galaxy, who were not pleased with their portrayals in the book.

Privately, Reina greatly admired the woman, though she had never met her. She was a vibrant character it seemed, a sharp contrast to Reina's own dour parents. Though she would never mention this to Ling, who she knew was still affected by the years she had spent living alone with her father (husband number three). She had felt the absence of her mother keenly. Though now, as a successful woman in her own right, she had mostly come to terms with the fact that her mother was not homemaker material.

"Your mother would love you shacking up with a Romulan senator" Reina agreed.

"Politicians were always her type" Ling sighed.

"But not yours?" Reina asked. She knew Ling was a private person, not given to the kind of antics her mother got herself up to, but she didn't think her largely, absent mother's opinion would affect her that strongly.

"No, they were the type who would show up at me and my dad's doorstep every so often. To introduce themselves as my stepfather. They were all flashy, charming, for the most part, kind. But they didn't stay. Not that I wanted them to, I mean, I was so happy with my dad. But, now that I see those traits in Letant, I-" she broke off suddenly, looking searchingly at Reina.

Reina rubbed her arm sympathetically, "It's okay Ling, I get it"

They sat in silence for a moment.

"You know, this is all new, with Letant I mean," Reina said slowly "You have time to get to know him, take things slow as you want"

Ling nodded, "That's true"

"I think you're getting your hopes pretty high with him after you know, Julian" Reina shot a glance at Ling, wondering if she had gone too far.

But Ling seemed receptive "That's true too. I've just gone through a whole range of emotions recently!"

"Well, I've got something to cheer you up then"

With vigor and excitement, and fueled by no small amount of wine, Reina recounted the tale of her ill-fated session with Vreenak. By the time she reached the wasabi incident, Ling was crying with laughter.

"How much did you eat?" she asked, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Enough to regret it, that's for sure" Reina grimaced, recalling the burning sensation that had filled her mouth and nasal cavities.

"Well, at least you got to practice some acting skills" Ling pointed out.

"Oh, he was not fooled in the least. But that wasn't even the most ridiculous thing that happened"

"Then what was?" Ling asked, riveted.

"He wiped sugar off my lip" Reina cringed, remembering the embarrassment that had followed.

"He wiped sugar off your lip" Ling repeated slowly.

"From the Osol twists he brought. Then, I stood there looking like an idiot, as he walked away"

"What?" Ling asked befuddled for a moment, before adding slyly "Why was he looking at your lips?"

"Well, if I asked him it would probably have something to do with his superior Romulan vision" Reina imitated Vreenak's deep, gravelly voice "'Ensign, the sparkly granules on your lips are ridiculous and distracting. By the way, Starfleet is terrible'."

Ling smiled "Oh, they were distracting, but probably not for the reason you think"

Reina scoffed "I guarantee you, it's exactly for the reason I think"

"Sure," Ling said, clearly unconvinced.

"Anyway, it was probably just a ploy to distract me. I was about to tell him off, you know?"

"Of course, you were" Ling laughed.

"Yeah! For being such an ass. I mean, I've never met someone so contrary in my life. He had something negative to say about everything. And I really tried to be polite. I really did" Reina huffed in annoyance. The more she reflected on the situation, the angrier she became.

Ling smiled "You got to torture him with the wasabi a little bit at least"

Reina returned the smile "That I did"

* * *

As Reina prepared for bed that night, she paced her quarters anxiously for the better part of an hour. Generally, she found she could find some peace with any worries she held by simply stewing over them for a few moments. It was a tactic she had used many times since joining Starfleet, where she was thrust into stressful situations on a near daily basis. The frequency of these situations only heightened with the Dominion War, during which time Reina had felt she had grown both as an officer and as a person. She may not have been on the front lines, but a fair share of the casualties had flowed through Deep Space Nine. Reina had been exposed to the wounds of war. Literally, in Sick Bay, but also in the torment that was so finely etched onto the faces of her patients and colleagues. No, she was not some fresh faced cadet straight from the Academy. She was a seasoned officer and damned proud of it. There was no way she'd allow anyone, especially a Romulan senator, diminish that accomplishment.

Though, she acknowledged to herself, her desire to prove her worth to him was not the only thing drawing her to him. It was getting more difficult to tamp down her growing attraction to the man. Every time his eyes swept over hers, Reina felt a thrill of awareness, excitement even, that was foreign to her. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want to explore it, even if that exploration came through a forced exchange program.

Reina made a decision. Before losing courage, she swept out of the room.

* * *

 _Vreenak turned over in bed, pulling a warm, supple female form closer to him. The woman sighed and nestled closer to him. He chuckled softly and pulled aside a mass of curly, blonde hair to kiss the back of her neck. The woman moaned in pleasure as Vreenak's warm lips traced a path across her skin. Groaning in response, Vreenak slid a hand up her torso to cup one breast firmly. He tossed a leg over hers, determined to press against as much of her as possible. She giggled lightly, then started to turn to face him and-_

"You are not permitted to enter!" a firm, male voice shouted.

Vreenak groaned as the woman in his arms slipped away and he was dragged back to reality. He awoke groggily, as he struggled to figure out what nonsense had interrupted such a pleasant dream.

"Neral, are we going to have this conversation every time I visit?" a female voice sounded now.

"Maybe you should consider the frequency with which you visit" the man practically snarled "And at this hour?"

"Why do you care again? Isn't it a little strange that you have such an investment in what I choose to do?"

Vreenak sighed and rubbed his temples wearily as he recognized the speakers. Once again, Reina Hence had succeeded in interrupting his life in spectacular fashion. The woman was haunting both his waking and sleeping hours.

Vreenak rose, deciding to put a stop to the dispute between his guard and the ensign before it could escalate. When he opened the doors to his quarters, he was confronted with the alarming image of Neral looming over Reina, a snarl on his face. Reina, for her part, seemed to be preparing to let loose a verbal tirade on the guard. She was dressed indecently, by Vreenak's estimation, in only a tank top and sleeping shorts. It was quite a contrast to his guard's severe, battle ready uniform, but he had no doubt Reina was proving herself to be a worthy enough adversary. Finally, she caught sight of Vreenak as he leaned against the doorway assessing the situation.

"Ensign,, " he said calmly, "Please, come in"

She shot Neral a victorious look before sweeping past Vreenak into the quarters. Vreenak ignored the guard and closed the door swiftly behind him, leaving him and Reina in the dimly lit room. He had not bothered switching on the lights, wanting to convey that this meeting would be short. But now, as Reina stood before him her skin glowing warmly, invitingly under the dim lighting he realized what a mistake that had been.

Before he could order the computer to raise the lights, Reina said "Vreenak, we need to discuss something"

They certainly did.

"Yes, perhaps now would be the time to discuss your habit of barging into my quarters at every opportunity"

"Now that's an exaggeration" Reina protested.

"Is it?" it was ,after all, happening with alarming frequency.

"Look, I just want to clear the air!" she burst out.

"You do?" Vreenak asked his voice calm. He was beginning to learn that, with humans, it was better to let them exhaust whatever energy they had rather than to waste breath questioning it.

"Yes! Believe it or not, I was excited about this program" she said.

Somehow that didn't surprise him. She would be zealous about something so disgustingly idealistic.

"I thought it'd be a real opportunity to learn something new. That it'd be fun even, but ever since I got partnered with you it's been stressful" she continued.

He mused on this for a moment, "So I make the project more stressful, and less enjoyable"

"Yes, yes you do, " she said bluntly.

He let out a laugh, which seemed to surprise her. Her honesty was somewhat refreshing, if abominably rude.

"You take every opportunity possible to insult me as a human, and especially as a Starfleet officer. Frankly, it's infuriating" she pressed.

"What about yourself then?" he asked.

"Me?"she asked, fixing him with wide eyes.

"Yes! You can't pretend you haven't had something to do with our less than cordial relations. That green substance you fed me?"

Reina clamped her lips together repressing a smile, as her brown eyes sparkled at him, "I don't know what you're talking about"

"Of course you don't" he said dryly, even as his lips twitched of their own accord.

Reina sighed, and the look in her eyes was searching "I say we call a truce. Get through this, cordially, and maybe learn something new?"

Vreenak's eyes drifted over her earnest face, framed becomingly by her golden curls. Perhaps it was the late hour, or just his own lack of control but he found himself reaching for one blonde tendril. As Reina's eyes widened, he was grateful at that moment that she was not Romulan. As a human, to her, such a gesture may be friendly, even overly so, but it would never have the significance that it would to a Romulan woman. He rubbed the soft hair between his fingers admiringly.

"Is this a common hair color for women on Earth?" he asked quietly. He tried to recall the numerous human women he had come across in his travels, but only Reina's face filled his vision.

She blinked up at him, her brows narrowed in confusion "It's not one of the most common, no"

Her sweet scent was filling his nostrils, urging him to draw her closer. His mind recalled the dream that she had roused him from, and he realized that he was dangerously close to seeing that dream realized.

 _Careful Vreenak._

Stepping back, he dropped the hair "It seems I've learned something already"

Reina stared at him, seemingly dazed "What? Oh! Yes, it's not common on Earth, but also not uncommon. Somewhere in between I guess. Really unremarkable"

Vreenak strongly disagreed with this, but wanting to prevent them from falling into another strange spell that could only end disastrously, he prodded the conversation along.

"It's late," he said.

"Yes, I should get going" Reina hurried toward the door, then turned to face Vreenak again, "Thanks for this talk, I think we've reached a good point"

She flashed a nervous smile, then exited, leaving Vreenak in the dim light, still wrapped in her scent.


End file.
